Incandescent-lamp socket.



L. J. GASTONGU-AY.

' INGANDESOENT LAMP SOCKET. APPLIGATION FILED Juml, 1910. RENEWED SEPT. 15, 1910.

I 1,046,968. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEGER J. CASTONGUAY, OF BR IDG-EPORT, ELECTRIC SWITCH MANUFACTURING A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINS i COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT,

INCANDESCENT-LAMP SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 21, 1910, Serial No. 539,225.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912. Renewed September 15, 1910; Serial No. 582,321.

and useful Improvements in Incandescent- Lamp Sockets, specification.

The main object of my invention is to so construct an incandescent lamp key socket as to lessen the cost of manufacture, simplify the construction and increase its durability. This object I'attain by the construction which I will now describe;

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a key socket embodying my invention of the type in which the insulating body is made in two pieces, the lined inclosing shell and cap beingomitted for the sake of simplicity; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the key turned to the off position; Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the upper insulating block detached; Fig. 4 is an inner face view of the lower insulating block with the switch key removed; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a socket of the single insulating block type, embodying my invention; Fig. 6 is an inner face view of the single block with the screw shell, center terminal and key removed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the lower insulating block A may carry any suitable form of lamp-receiving terminals, such as the ordinary screw shell S and central spring contact C. The inner face of the lower block has a suitable recess or chamber a to receive a contact plate D, shown in this case as in electrical connection with the lamp terminal contact 0 through a central screw 10. The key spindle E which carries at its outer end the oblong switch block F with the usual lost motion or play, is not mounted, as is the more common plan, in a metallic frame, but finds a bearing in a washer 6 preferably of insulating material set in semi-circular recesses 6, (Figs. 3 and 4), in the adjacent faces of the lower block A and upper block B. For the rest the spindle is guided with a certain amount of freedom in transverse grooves 6 6 (Figs. 3 and 4), in the adjacent faces of blocks. The inner face of the upper block 13 is provided with a recess 9 over the switch of which the following is a spring contact G,

the two block F and this recess may be of the curved form best illustrated in Fig. 8, to receive the which is held in place by having its outer end 11 clamped between the upper end of the bracket 12 and the porcelain of the upper block. The two brackets 12 and 18 are adapted to receive binding screws 14 and 15, (Fig. 4), for the terminal wires and such brackets may be of the construction employed in the well-known Perkins socket of the Perkins Patent 626,927, to also unite the blocks together mechanically. The bracket 13 will be in electrical connection with the lamp-receiving screw shell S, while the bracket 12 will be in electrical connection with the central contact of thelamp socket through the springv contact G, switch block F, contact D, and screw 10, when, the switch block is turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 1. In connection with the switch key I provide a spiral spring P held in a recess in the inner face of the upper block B and adapted to hear at its lower end upon the switch spindle directly or indirectly. When the switch key is turned from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 the circuit will be broken by the oblong block F leaving the spring contact G, being pressed away therefrom and against the contact plate D by the spring P.

It will be seen from the above described construction that the metallic frame employed in the majority of sockets for the key spindle is dispensed with, and the manufacture correspondingly simplified and made more economical.

The spring P does only mechanical work in the switch mechanism, and forms no part of the electric circuit, and being a spiral spring it is more durable and efiicient and smoother in its action than the spring contact plates which are usually employed for the double purpose of mechanically actuating the switch block to get a quick break and for conducting current.

Although I prefer to embody my invention in a socket of the Perkins two-block type, it will be understood that it may be embodied in other constructions of socket, and in Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated its application to a single block type of socket. In this construction the switch block F on the outer end of the key spindle E makes electrical connection in the position shown in Fig. 5 between the lamp-receiving shell S and the spring contact G set into a rightangular recess 9 formed in the inner face of the block B This contact plate G is in electrical connection with a binding post 16; the other binding post will be in direct electrical connection or formed in one with the central lamp contact C Fig. 5. The key spindle E finds a bearing in a washer 6 set in a recess in the inner face of the block B A tongue 17, formed in one with the screw shell S or fixed thereto, may support the spindle E A spring P which bears at its upper end against a disk p of insulating material set into a recess in the inner face of the block B bears at its lower end against the key spindle E in such a way that when the key is turned to carry the block F from the vertical position shown. in Fig. 5 the spring will cause the block to lie horizontally against the flange of the screw shell S and out of contact with the plate G substantially in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 with reference to the construction previously described.

I claim as my invention 1. 'A key socket having a key spindle with a contact block, an insulating body recessed to receive and guide the key spindle, with contacts, between which the switch block makes electrical connection, and a spiral spring to act on the spindle to press the block away from one of the contacts when the key is turned to break the circuit.

2. A key socket having a spindle and switch block, an insulating body recessed to receive and guide the key spindle, contacts between which the switch block makes electrical connection, one of said cont-acts being a spring contact, and a spiral spring to act upon the key spindle to press the switch block away from the spring contact ,when the key is turned to break the circuit.

3. A key socket, having a key spindle and switch block and a bearing washer for the key spindle, an insulating body recessed to receive and hold the said washer and recessed to receive and guide the spindle, contacts between which the switch block makes electrical connection and a spiral spring to act upon the key spindle to press the block away from one of the contacts when the key is turned to break the circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEGER J. CASTONGUAY.

Witnesses:

' G. W. Goonmnen,

H. W. GoLDsBoRoUeH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

